Man charged in deadly hit-and-run

SANTA ANA – A driver has been charged in the death of a 75-year-old man out on a morning walk after police say he struck the pedestrian and then fled.

Victor Manuel Arredondo Anaya, 27, of Santa Ana is facing a felony count of hit-and-run causing death, as well as a misdemeanor count each of vehicular manslaughter without gross negligence and driving on a suspended license, Orange County Superior Court records show.

Police about 6:30 a.m. Jan. 10 found Miguel Chavez Ceja dead in the roadway at Orange and Edinger Avenues. Ceja, a resident of Mexico who was visiting family members in Santa Ana, had been struck by a vehicle. The driver left before officers arrived.

Investigators determined that the vehicle struck Ceja on his left side, pushing him onto the hood of the car, where his head struck the windshield, a statement from the Orange County District Attorney's Office said.

Several days later, a witness saw a vehicle matching the description released by police of the vehicle involved in the accident. Officers located Anaya and took him into custody after determining that damage to his vehicle was consistent with the hit-and-run, authorities said.

Anaya, who is being held in lieu of $50,000 bail, is scheduled to return to court Feb. 1 for an arraignment, a court clerk said.

If convicted, Anaya faces up to four years in prison. Prosecutors say Anaya was driving on a suspended license after a previous drunken-driving conviction.